Saturday, April 11, 2009

Asparagus, Pea, Garlic and Leek Risotto

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm still trying to eat as little meat at home as possible.

I noticed in my cupboard this morning that I had some risotto that's been there for a few weeks, so I decided to make a fairly simple vegetable risotto with some seasonal ingredients.

The temperature has dropped a little in the past week, so I wanted to make something comforting and a little rich.

Ingredients:- 1 leek, cup thinly- 6 asparagus stalks, chopped with the wooden ends removed- 1-2 cups of fresh peas (frozen will work if you can't get fresh)- 6 cloves of garlic, blanched- 2 cups of risotto rice- 2 litres of vegetable stock- A small amount of finely chopped herbs (I used thyme)- A good amount of salt and pepper and a pinch of cayenne- 100g of butter- 2 tablespoons of mascarpone- 1 cup of grated Parmesan or reggiano cheese

Method:- In a large pot, start by cooking the leek and garlic in the butter until it softens and starts to get a bit of colour.- Add the rice, peas and asparagus. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne and herbs and stir so everything is coated.- Have another pot off to the side with your stock simmering away. Add a few ladles at a time and stir until the rice tastes close to done. Don't rush this step. Make sure the sauce is still very runny. You don't want it thick.- Check the seasoning, you may need to add more.- Add the grated cheese and mascarpone and stir. Let it sit for 1-2 minutes and it's done.

Serve with more grated cheese on top and maybe a dollop of mascarpone if you're feeling like going all out.